1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishline handling devices, and more particularly to a hand held trotline reel of novel construction.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A trotline is a fishing line consisting of a single main line with a series of side lines secured thereon with hooks secured on the end of each side line. Trotlines are difficult to reel and unreel without tangling or twisting the side lines and hooks. There is a substantial demand for a trotline reel which is capable of reeling and unreeling a trotline without tangling or twisting the side lines and hooks.
Trotline reels are known in the art. There are several patents which disclose various trotline reel devices. Most of these reels have a number of disadvantages which have kept them from being used extensively.
Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,405,546 discloses a trotline reel comprising a drum having a portion for receiving the main line of a trotline, and an adjoining longitudinally extended portion to receive the leaders. The extended portion is provided with a series of catches to receive the hooks.
Duvall, U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,197 discloses a fishing reel comprising a drum supported by a yoke connectable to a boat or other support. Each end of the drum is provided with a first flange having a notched periphery for receiving a leader line, and an adjacent secondary flange having a smooth periphery. A continuous coiled spring is disposed between each pair of flanges. The spring releasably holds the rounded ends of the hooks.
Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,601 discloses a trotline reel comprising a drum having end flanges mounted on a shaft. A disc having spaced blades for receiving the leaders and a disc having a plurality of notches or serrations for retaining hooks are mounted on the same shaft. The hook retaining disc is provided with a pawl and ratchet mechanism to control tension on the trotline and leader line. The structure is mounted on a boat and the trotline unwound therefrom by rowing or motoring the boat across the water.
Hitre, U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,267 discloses a set line drum rotatable on a base plate. The drum comprises a cylinder having one end closed and its other end provided with circumferentially spaced open ended slots in its cylindrical wall for removably securing leader lines. The hooks may be baited while suspended within the drum.
McGee, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,924 discloses a trotline container and dispenser which includes a reel, and a series of hook retaining compartments carried outside one of the reel flanges. The compartments are adapted to hold baited hooks. The reel is rotatably mounted on a spindle which may be attached to a boat.
McGee, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,893 discloses a fixed trotline dispenser or spool having a recessed reel section for receiving a trotline wound thereupon, and a series of hook retaining compartments positioned on one end of the spool and opening longitudinally of the spool for releasably retaining either baited or unbaited fishhooks of the trotline.
Easley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,559 discloses a trotline reel comprising a spool rotatably mounted on a shaft. One of the flanges of the spool is slotted to receive the leader portion of the trotline. A slotted hook retaining disc having a layer of resilient material thereon is secured to the shaft at a distance from the slotted flange. The leader extends through the slotted flange and the shank of the hook extends through the slotted disc with the pointed end of the hook secured in the resilient material.
The prior art in general, and none of these patents in particular, disclose a hand held trotline reel which can wind and store a trotline without tangling or twisting the hooks and side lines and unwind a trotline and feed it out smoothly from the reel.